Four Black Caps recovering from illness are expected to be available for selection for the first of two Twenty20 cricket internationals against India.

Batsman Kane Williamson, keeper BJ Watling and pace bowlers Doug Bracewell and Adam Milne went down with what skipper Ross Taylor describes as “a bit of a bug”.

However, all four took part in the team’s latest training session ahead of the series opener on Sunday morning (AEST).

“Every one of them came through OK today and hopefully they’re full of energy tomorrow,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the game in Vishakhapatnam marked the start of New Zealand’s Twenty20 World Cup campaign.

He also said they were likely to use two specialists spinners in left-armers Daniel Vettori, who is back from a groin injury, and Ronnie Hira.

Vettori is among a trio of experienced players, along with Jacob Oram and Kyle Mills, who have come into the Black Caps squad after the two Tests against India.

The second T20 international is in Chennai on Wednesday morning and Taylor said his players would use the series to try out tactics for the World Cup in Sri Lanka.

That tournament begins for the Black Caps on September 21 with a group fixture against Bangladesh.

India haven’t beaten New Zealand in the shortest form of the game, but Taylor was quick to point out that each of the three meetings has been outside India.

“It’s a record we would like to keep, but all those games have been overseas – two at home and one at the 2007 World Cup,” he said.

“India play very well at home. They know the conditions well, but we’ve had some new players turn up – Vettori, Oram and Mills – who have played a lot of cricket, a lot of Twenty20, and are very experienced in this part of the world.”